Have Break Will Travel: Beware of the Bed Bugs during Spring Break Travels

Spring break is here and many families across the country will hit the road for vacation travel. As people gear up for a little R&R the last thing that they want is to share their hotel bed with some unwanted companions -bed bugs. Over the past few years, the ever-increasing propagation of the blood sucking parasites has added an unwelcome risk factor when traveling. Bed bugs tend to be found where people sleep or rest and then stow away in luggage and personal belongings. Hotel, motels, cruise ships, and resorts are some of the lodgings that are experiencing a growing problem with bed bugs and there seems to be no end in sight. Experts are predicting summer 2011 to be the worst year yet. Traveling with people is what bed bugs do best and the tiny critters are definitely a souvenir that travelers don’t want to bring home.

“Travelers should not be canceling any trips because of the fear of bringing bed bugs home,” said Adam Greenberg, President of USBedBugs.com™. “It’s true that bed bugs are a rapidly spreading epidemic, however, by knowing what to look for and taking a few simple precautions when you travel, you can significantly reduce the probability of bringing home these pesky little creatures.”

USBedBugs.com offers a wide selection of pesticide-free products to provide peace of mind to those trying to avoid being bitten by bed bugs and to those attempting to protect themselves from bringing them home.

Here are five simple tips to help you travel without fear of bringing bed bugs home: 1. Do Your Research - Before you book a reservation in any hotel, check to see if the property has any reported bed bug complaints. USBedBugs.com™ recommends checking TripAdvisor as well as BedBugRegistry online for recent complaints. Greenberg recommends travelers also study up on the bed bug basics online at Bedbugger.com.

2. Inspect the Room - Before you even bring your personal belongings into the room, inspect it for any signs of bed bugs. Using a flashlight, begin by inspecting the bed and its surroundings. Check the sheets, mattress, box spring and headboard. Don’t forget to also check walls and any furniture close to the bed. You’ll be looking for black spots (fecal matter), live bed bugs and their eggs, skins and blood spots. If you suspect that you may have found any remnants of bed bugs, contact the front desk and request to be moved to another room. “I always lift the headboard off the wall and shine a flashlight behind it looking for black spots in or around the cracks or screw holes,” says Greenberg.

3. Zip Up Your Luggage and Belongings - “Just because you don’t see bed bugs, doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Bed bugs stay very well hidden by nature so don’t let your guard down even if the room looks spotless,” said Greenberg. All items need to be protected in plastic bags at all times when not in use. USBedBugs.com recommends bringing a BugZip® luggage encasement for every suitcase to keep bed bugs from crawling into your bags and coming home with you. Don’t leave shoes, computers or souvenirs out in the open as bed bugs love to crawl into tiny cracks and crevices.

4. Never Bring Luggage Inside the Home - Even though you may have bagged your suitcases while in the hotel room, there is still a small chance bed bugs could have crawled in while on the airplane or taxi. Find a place in the garage or as far away from the bedroom as possible to keep your suitcases. “Many people bring their suitcase right into their bedroom to unpack which just gives the bed bugs a free ride to their next meal…you,” said Greenberg.

5. Wash & Dry Everything - Upon arriving home, empty your suitcases in your garage. Any clothing should go right into the washing machine. Put any non-washable items into the dryer for 10 to 15 minutes. If you need to bring clothes inside in advance of washing, use dissolvable laundry bags to prevent contaminating your laundry room with bed bugs.

Traveling without fear of bringing bed bugs home can be easily accomplished if you follow these basic precautions. “Basically, all you need is a computer, a flashlight, zip bags and a dryer,” said Greenberg. “There’s no need to cancel travel plans or spray chemical pesticides to keep bed bugs out of your home.”

About USBedBugs.com At USBedBugs.com, our mission is to improve the quality of life for those dealing with bed bugs and to prevent further spread of bed bugs throughout the United States while minimizing the use of harmful pesticides.

Founded in 2006, USBedBugs.com is a division of NorthShore Care Supply, an online medical supply retailer. Beginning with selling mattress encasements, the company received numerous inquiries from people desperately looking for other products to detect and prevent bed bugs. As the bed bug infestation in the U.S. has grown rapidly, USBedBugs.com has become a leader in products that help people dealing with bed bugs in homes, hotels, apartment buildings, colleges and any facility where people sleep. The USBedBugs.com website is now a fast growing marketplace of pesticide-free bed bug prevention and protection products. For more information visit http://www.usbedbugs.com.